Denied
by Brocasica
Summary: Johanna Mason has no one left to love her, no one left she loves. Why? Why is she so quick-tempered, mean, and not very trusting? Rated T for some language.
1. Chapter 1

**I've always wondered about the quote:**

_"They can't hurt me, I'm not like the rest of you. There's no one left I love," -Johanna Mason_

**And so I shall write about it.**

I walk along the dusty path that I, and many more before me, have walked thousands of times. I can't help feeling self-concious about the stares stabbing me like daggers from every angle, and I can only imagine what is going through their thick heads. "How on earth did Johanna Mason win?", "Why doesn't she get all the money all the other ones get?", "Why is she working?", "Where's that boy she was always with?" and "Why is she so sullen and mean all of a sudden?" are the thoughts running through their brainwashed heads. except they aren't actually brainwashed, just fed thousands of lies by the powerhouse of our Country. One of the ways they show their power is by the annual slaughtering more commonly known as the Hunger Games. A sadistic ritual involving the 12 Districts, and two children from each. And of course we can't forget the fight to the death, right? That's it. A fight between 24 kids. And I had the misfortune to be 'reaped'. Your name gets chosen out of a glass ball, and you go to the Capitol, and you train, and you kill or be killed. It's horible. I turn off the path, and reach my destination, the Victors Village. I walk to the outside of my house, and look inside. Everything is how I left it this morning. TV off, house tidy, vase of flowers full... Wait... I've never had a vase of flowers before. There's only one other person who knows the code, and that was because we were incredibly close until I found out the consequences of my actions in the arena. And out of it. I think nothing of the gesture, probably just Garric fooling around.

I pull the well-used pack of cards that used to entertain me and my younger brother in the years before I got reaped off of the bench, and sit at my table. The cards help me take my mind off things, they have become much more than they were before my life got destroyed by President Snow. Just the mention of his name in my mind causes my hand to nearly crush the 2 of hearts in my hand that I was trying to place on the table so I could play a simple game of solotaire. "I'll give you a game?" The voice shocks me so much, I stand up quickly, and the chair falls behind me, and crashes to the wooden floor, and I drop the cards still in my hand. "When the hell did you get here?" I scream at the tresspasser, wishing I had my axe nearby. Then I see who he is. Garric. "Damn you!" I tell him, a bit calmer now, that I see who is here, and why. I drop to the floor, and start picking up the cards, returning them to some sort of order. Garric helps me, and as I return the cards to their piles, he picks up the chair, and takes a seat in the chair opposite me, supposedly going to play the game of cards he had to scare me into playing. I start dealing the cards evenly when he says, "I brought you some flowers,"

"I know. Thanks,"

"No problem."

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while."

He stops, and looks at me while I finish dealing the cards in front of him. He devilishly smiles at me, letting me know his hand isn't a bad one.

"Look, Garric, you probably shouldn't be friends with me any more. I kind of denied Snow's request to sell my body, and he didn't tell me what he would do if I denied him."  
"Snow wanted to prostitute you? That son of a bitch!" I smile at Garric's familiar profianities. I've known him for a long time, we went to the same school when we were kids, and were put in the same group for cutting down trees when we turned eighteen. I have to admit, not that I would admit this to anybody, that Garric is quite good looking. With his shaggy blonde hair, his gorgeous haxel eyes... I need to stop. Before I start falling for him. The last time I fell for someone, he got killed by Snow. "Yeah. I hate him so much. And he killed my family because of it." I answer Garric's previous comment. "So... You're saying that if I continue to be friends with you, I will be killed?" Garric smirks at me as I slam my hand on the table. "Damnit Garric! This is serious!" I yell, probably disturbing all the other victors. "Garric," I start, my voice shaking, "You should probably go now." He does. And I know I probably won't see him again. "Wait," I walk over to where Garric stands at the door. "I hope we can be friends next year, when Snow has forgotten about me." At that, he presses his lips to mine. I've officially fallen for Garric Roxen. Although I enjoy that kiss, I am Johanna Mason, so I have to slap him, right? And he smirks at me as I do, expecting it. "I'm changing the lock code on my door." I tell him. When I close the door after him, I lean against the door and slide down it until my butt is on the floor. I kissed Garric Roxen. I kissed Garric Roxen! Wait... How do I know Snow's not watching me now?! I rush to the window next to my door, and look for the cameras I know are there. But that's no use, the cameras will be hidden. I sink back down, sitting where I was before I had that sudden frenzy. I sit at the door, and start weeping, for a good hour or so. I can't afford to be like this. I just can't let my emotions show while Snow is still breathing down my neck. I decide to go and talk to the only person I think will help, Blight. My mentor for the games.  
I rush to his house, and bang on the door. "Blight! Get your butt over here!" I yell to my slack mentor. "What the hell do you want?" He asks me. "I'm not sure. Let me in?"  
"Yeah whatever," he grumbles as I walk into the dusty, dark, smelly house. I guess not all victors enjoy having a tidy house. "Look, Blight, I kinda denied P. Snow, and now he wants to kill everyone I associate with," I begin. "Same thing happened to me," He sighs and swallows yet another mouthful of his probably alcoholic drink. I snatch it out of his hand, and he looks at me in alarm. He's long given up trying to get his drink off of me when I steal it. His expression changes to a tired, slightly resigned one, and his brown eyes are bloodshot, either with the drink, or lack of sleep or it could be anything. "Blight, I need you to help me, please?" I ask. I never say please, and Blight knows that. "What's up with you suddenly being nice to me?" He asks, with a sneer. That's it. "Damn you, Blight. I'm out." I storm out of the room, smashing the bottle that I stole on the ground outside. "What the hell, Johanna!?" I slam his door. That's one person that I thought could help.  
I wander around the District for a long time, wondering who I can talk to, and somehow wind up at Garric's house. Because he isn't a Victor, he lives in the normal part of District 7, the place I live. Each District specialises in a different industry. District 7's is lumber. Or, more commonly known as 'trees'. I'll show them that trees are important. Wait till those measly Capitol dipshits have to go without wood for a week. We'll see how unimportant lumber is then! As I walk up the familiar path towards the front door, I wonder exactly what it is I want. I pause before knocking, but quickly realise I need to apoligise. I knock once, twice, three times, and Garric is at the door. "Johanna?" He asks with surprise. "Yes, it is me. I'm sorry about before." He must be a little baffled, because I made myself quite clear when he left my house before. "No, it's ok, I kissed you... Oh Johanna, I'm sorry, please forgive me. I- " I cut him off with another kiss. I really need to stop that. "You've forgiven me?" He asks. "I was never mad at you," I smile "I actually came to apoligise. And I did. Forgive me, Garric Roxen?" He laughs. "I was never mad at you." I laugh at his comment. "Good. I'm in debt to nobody then." I walk away, pausing at the wooden door. "Garric, stay away from me. I can't resist you." I walk into the night air, having to restrain myself from dancing my way home. That isn'tlike Johanna Mason, to be wanting to skip and sing merry songs. I have a reputation to live up to.


	2. Chapter 2

The reaping. The day my already horrible world fell apart.

District 7's escort, Alodia Lockhearst, walks over the stage, her high heels making it almost impossible not to fall over. She is decked out in bright green, and her bright blue hair looks almost fake. It isn't though, apparently. She walks over to the glass ball, the one with my name in 5 times, and looks out to her audience. "Ladies first!" She cries. She pulls the slip out of the glass ball, and I (Like everyone else) silently wish for the name not to be mine. "Johanna Mason!" She cries. I let out a gasp, and don't stop the tears staining my face. I feel the stares piercing my body, my face, my eyes as I fiddle with my hands, walking up to the stage, and straightening out my blue skirt. "Johanna Mason, District 7's female tribute! Now for the boys." She walks over to the glass ball containing the boy's names, and I hope for my brother's name to not be called. "Ivo Galloway!" Someone I don't know. Ivo seems to endure the same thing I did, and he nervously walks up the stairs, with tears in his eyes which he blinks away. He looks about 12, with light brown hair, and green eyes. Good on him for not crying, while I'm a snivelling mess at the moment. "I now present District 7's tributes of this year. Shake hands, please?" I stretch out my arm, and catch a glimpse of my white shirt arm.

I am shoved into a room in the Justice Building, and I sit on the deep purple plush chair, waiting for my parents and little brother to turn up. And they do. "You have three minutes," a peacekeeper warns me. My little brother, Otto rushes on my lap, tears in his eyes. He only had his name in once, and he thought no one in our family would get picked. That's what I thought, too. But I guess that got stuffed up. Otto wept into my shoulder, saying between sobs: "You.. You've," _sniff _"got... to," _sob _"win! For us!" He burst into tears again. I pat his head awkwardly, while Dad sits in front of me. "Listen Jo, you can win. You're stronger then most girls your age, and the element of surprise can help you a lot. Be strong, ok?"  
"OK, Dad I love you," I smile through the tears now falling thick and fast.  
"Honey, just remember to come home, OK?" Mum hugs me and Otto, who's black hair is all I see from where I"m sitting. "I will," I decide.  
"Time's up," Comes the voice from the Peacekeeper outside the door, and he ushers my family out of the room. The tears start themselves up again, and I give up trying to contain them. Then, someone I know very well wanders in.  
"Johanna!"  
"Garric!" I say standing up.  
"Look Johanna, you will come home. I know it. Uh... Here," He hands me a ring, silver with a bronze pattern that looks like some sort of snaky pattern, and a red crystal embedded in it.  
"Garric! It's beautiful!" I cry, and hug him, slipping the ring on my finger behind his back.  
"Times up, lovebirds," I feel like punching in that Peacekeeper's face.  
"I-" I can't hear the last thing Garric says. My next visitors are my best friends.  
"Johanna!" Lila screeches, hurtling towards me, and to hug me. "Lila! I'm coming back!" I inform her.  
"We know you are! Its just... the Games changes people. Your body may come back, but you won't be the Johanna Mason we know," My other friend, Cilia tells me. Trust her to not have any tears, and to be all matter-of-fact about everything. She does feel sad, I know this, but she chooses to be sad in a different way. She will probably go home, and cry her heart out to the large dog her family adopted a while ago. Lila, however, is an incredibly ditzy, open person, who is not afraid to show her feelings to anyone and everyone. We are the outcasts of the school, I'm the normal Johanna Mason, with the afore-mentioned Lila Ballantynn, and the smart, and thoughtful Cilia Erwin. I love these guys, though. They seem to be the only ones actually keeping me from going insane over my incredibly normal life. "Times up," The Peacekeeper calls for the third time.  
"See you soon!" Cilia calls to me cheerfully. If only.

"In the car, you two!" Alodia calls to Ivo and me. We oblige, making sure we don't get on Alodia's bad side. That could be disasterous. I sit in the truck, and notice the stares I receive from through the truck windows. As we drive through my District, I look at the trees bodering the roads. I would have had a good life cutting those down, but now the Hunger Games have come along, and will any chance I have at a normal life. Alodia talks at Ivo and I about what we will be facing when we reach the Capitol. I know all of this, I have seen it on the TV screens many times. But, when we reach the train to take us to the Capitol, nothing could prepare me for the brilliance that is the train. I realise there are 12 of these beauties, at least, and I am in only one.  
"Get yourselves prepared for the Capitol, my lovelies!" Alodia trills at us. "Johanna, your room is this way, and Ivo, I'll show you yours afterwards!" Alodia walks, no, trots, to what I'm assuming is my room, and I follow her, walking normally, and thinking about the word 'lovelies'.  
"And here is your room, Johanna!" I look inside the room, and am amazed at what I see. A large bed sits in the middle of the room, with a plush blanket, and a massive chest of drawres, and a bookcase, with a purple armchair. Some sound of happiness escapes my lips, and I turn around to see Alodia showing Ivo his room. I walk over to the bed, and sit on it, running my hands through the soft surface. No one in District 7 would ever be rich enough to afford something like this, except the victors, maybe. Well, when I go home, maybe I'll get something like this purple throw on the bed in the train.


End file.
